Use of Sildenafil (Viagra) to Alter Fatigue, Functional Status and Impaired Cerebral Blood Flow in Patients With CFS

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25 mg tid of either Sildenafil(Viagra) for first week. 50 mg tid of either Sildenafil (Viagra) for second week. 100 mg tid of either Sildenafil (Viagra) 3rd,4th, 5th and 6th week of study participation.

change in fatigue impact scale there are 42 questions. Each question can be answered from 0 (no problem) to 4 (extreme problem), so a higher score indicates more severe fatigue impact. minimum score=0, maximum score =148 values are calculated at baseline and 6 months and the score at 6 months compared to baseline months is calculated

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Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years to 49 Years (Adult)

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Yes

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients meeting the CDC definition of CFS.

All races, ethnicities, socio-economic status (SES), and gender

Age greater than 18 (because of concerns about radioactivity, we and the Cedars-Sinai and Harbor-UCLA IRBs have decided not to enroll subjects below the age of 18).

Age less than 50. Because of concern of sildenafil exacerbating coronary artery disease, we will only enroll patients younger than 50.

Able to provide informed consent.

Willingness to be off all medicines and supplements for 3 weeks prior to the study.

Patients with psychiatric disorders (see below) will be included, if they could be off their medications, and if their psychiatric diagnosis clearly occurred after their fatigue symptoms began.

Patients with concurrent fibromyalgia will be allowed to participate if the meet diagnostic criteria for CFS.

Exclusion Criteria:

Disabilities that would prevent them from participating in the study.

Current use of prescription medicines (starting at 3 weeks prior to the study) and supplements (starting at 1 weeks prior to the study) except acetaminophen or aspirin. This includes herbal supplements and vitamins.

Severe psychiatric disorders including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia and previous or current diagnosis of alcohol or substance abuse within the past year. Patients with depression of such severity as to warrant treatment with anti-depressants will be excluded.

Current abuse of illicit drugs or heavy ethanol use.

Pregnant women will be excluded because of radioactivity exposure from the SPECT scans.